“Programme Action” describes what we do in Soroptimist International (SI) Swansea
Post Covid
As the situation in Ukraine is having an affect on fuel prices in the UK, we will continue to help those in need
We are beginning to pick up on our previous activities and now send a monthly donation to the Sketty Foodbank funded by selling facemasks and events
We funded a Travel and Education grant to a young woman visiting Los Angeles to study for 10 months.
We are collecting old spectacles to send to the Lions lub in Birmingham and are collecting used stamps for the RNLI
We have raised funds for Ukrainians displaced to the UK through our Quiz Night
This was our Covid-19 project.
Some members sewed masks, hats, sweatbands etc and friends sewed scrubs in all sorts of coloured fabrics.
We knitted “Twiddlemuffs” for dementia patients. See the pattern Twiddlemuff instructions.
Alzheimer and Dementia patients often have restless hands and feeling the different textures and shapes can help them.Swansea Soroptimists will be uploading their creative ideas soon.
Pre-Covid
Internationally We supported the Chora Chori project Empowering Girls in Nepal and were one of the first to raise funds for this project with an Afternoon tea for members and supporters.
We supported the International 3E Project to Educate, Empower and Enable young women and girls. We have supported the MERU Garden SIGBI project from 2016-2019 when the project ended.
Past President Dr Anne Norton visited Himachal Pradesh in India for four weeks in 2012 with “Volunteering India” performing health checks on children and teachers in village day centres, tea gardens, and a school for mentally challenged children. She also attended an HIV seminar. Her talk at a Spring Dinner meeting in 2013 on her visit was well received and Indian dress was worn.
3E Project: Healthcare, is a partnership between Soroptimist International Great Britain and Ireland (SIGBI) and the international medical charity Maternal and Childhealth Advocacy International (MCAI) – and its partner Advanced Life Support Group (ALSG). This is a three year fundraising challenge which will save the lives of countless critically ill women, babies and children in the Gambia.
Regionally
In 2016, 2017 and 2019, we supported the Toilet Twinning initiative and have filled backpacks for Mary’s Meals. We supported the Regional project to fight against the use of alcohol by young women in 2013 and in 2014 – 2016, we supported Anti Trafficking and Anti Modern Day Slavery initiatives. See internet links on dedicated page https://sigbi.org/swansea/programme-action/oct-2014-anti-human-trafficking-project/
Local action
Locally
Cruse Morgannwg
In 2020, just before Coronavirus struck we organised a Coffee and Lunch with guest speaker as a joint 4 year project with Port Talbot, Neath and Bridgend. We raised over £1300. Each of the other clubs will organise a bigannual event in turn
Listening to primary children read
Several Club Members attended St Helen’s School in Swansea to listen to children reading as part of our literacy project and ensure they understand the meaning and make sense of what they are reading. Each Club member had a specific class allocated to her.
Women’s Refuge
Every two months, we delivered toiletries for women and children. This includes underwear and sanitary protection for the ladies. We also provide non perishable food stuffs.
Beach Clean
The Marine Conservation Society organises beach cleans in Britain. Swansea Soroptimists are involved in the Gower beach cleans on the 3rd weekend in September helping to clean the Blackpill Lido beach.
Clyne in Bloom
Club members helped in the refreshment tent during Clyne in Bloom which is held during the whole of the month of May. The money raised helped refurbish the dormitories at the West Glamorgan Guiding Centre at Parkmill.
Life for African Mothers
We no longer knit and collect fish and chip baby clothes and hats and items for the Baby Bundles. see http://lifeforafricanmothers.org/getting-involved/other-ways-to-help/ as the project ended. We link with SI Glamorgan. see https://sigbi.org/ggm/. Bundles of any baby clothes are welcome. By donating baby clothes, socks, bonnets and blankets we were helping to save the lives of women and their babies. It encouraged pregnant women to go into hospital when they go into labour rather than waiting until there are severe complications when it is often too late.
Operation Christmas Child
A number of our members helped with this Samaritan’s Purse annual event collecting and sorting through the boxes to be sent to children in Montenegro and Bosnia. This was done through one of our local churches, St Paul’s, in Sketty.
Club members also donate used spectacles and bras for Third world countries and collect and recycle a number of items including phones, and jewellery to raise funds for project work.
We have raised money for many local charities over the last few years including Swansea Young Single Homeless Project (SYSHP), CISS, Barnardo’s, Maggie’s South West Wales Cancer Centre, RNID, Wales Air Ambulance, Alzheimer’s Society, Women’s Aid, and the RNLI.
